Transplant Services

UNOS Liver Redistricting Concept: Voice Your Opinion

The United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) Liver and Intestinal Organ Transplantation Committee just released a concept paper suggesting the redistribution of deceased donor livers from a regional basis to either a four- or eight-district national model.

Under this model, organ procurement organizations would be required to allocate donor liver organs outside their region, to the patient in the (4 or 8 district) area with the highest MELD score.

The UW Health Transplant Program and UW Organ and Tissue Donation have great concerns about this proposal, including such issues as an overall lack of data that shows this change would improve patient survival outcomes, save more lives or improve quality of life. In addition, we know that this model will increase cost, and does nothing to address the overarching need to improve organ donation across the country.

We are sharing this information so you can review the UNOS concept paper, read our position on this proposal and take the opportunity to respond to the UNOS brief online survey. Survey responses will be accepted and included in the UNOS review if completed by July 11.